AI has the power to change the world. From fighting hunger to detecting earthquakes, researchers, scientists and educators have been working to use the power of AI for the greater good. Here are some of the most popular AI articles on social media to demonstrate how AI is impacting our world today.

1. Fighting Hunger One Data Set at a Time

Researchers at Cornell University have received a federal grant to use machine learning and big data to predict poverty and hunger in vulnerable regions around the globe. By training a machine learning model to analyze agricultural productivity, land-surface temperature and food prices, the researchers will be able to better predict which communities will be struck by poverty and undernutrition next. These insights can then be used to help humanitarian organizations identify which areas need their help most.

3. Bringing AI to the Masses

It’s no secret that landing a career in AI is no easy task. With many practitioners holding PhDs from top universities, it’s often exceptionally difficult to gain a competitive edge in the AI space. That’s all changing, though, as a number of non-profit organizations work to provide AI education to everyone. Two Bay Area-based non-profits, fast.ai and AI4ALL, are making AI courses available to coders and underrepresented children alike. With one of fast.ai’s students now a founding member of Google’s first AI research office in Africa, it’s clear that for many, there’s a bright future in AI.

4. AI and the Future of Wireless Networks

The folks at Verizon aren’t strangers to AI: In 2017, they successfully used it to predict and avoid events that would have negatively impacted their customers. Now, Verizon is leveraging AI to improve the performance of their network. With 5G’s initial release just around the corner, Verizon’s efforts are more important than ever, and will help ensure that their teams can solve problems and manage traffic more efficiently than ever.

5. Monitoring Earthquakes With AI

Microearthquakes can provide valuable insights to the earth’s seismic activity, but they aren’t always detectable by seismic measuring systems (let alone humans). To solve this, scientists at Stanford have developed a scalable AI system that’s capable of detecting even the most minor of earthquakes from seismic data. With its ability to provide real-time monitoring and act as part of an early earthquake warning system, the scientists’ AI system has many practical applications.

It’s clear that AI has revolutionary potential, whether in terms of humanitarian issues or technological advancement. We can’t wait to see how organizations leverage it next.

Marshall Choy

Marshall has overseen the go-to-market of dozens of industry leading enterprise hardware and software products. Previously, he was Vice President of System Product Management and Solutions Development at Oracle.